Fire watchers Liu Jun and his wife Qi Shuyan in their watchtower in the forest. (Zou Hong/China Daily)
The next generation
Guilt resulting from their neglect of their children haunted the first and second generations of Saihanba residents. Yu Lei is not immune to the feeling either.
"I came — I should say 'came back' — to Saihanba in 2006, after graduating from the Beijing Institute of Technology, and have worked in the fire-monitoring center since then," the 36-year-old said.
Yu's father was just 2 when he arrived at Saihanba in 1962, accompanying his father.
"My father went on to work at Saihanba, and so did all my uncles. Altogether I have 14 relatives working here. I am the latest addition," said Yu, the third generation of his family to work in the forest.
Yu married in 2008, and his wife now works at Saihanba, too. They have an 8-year-old daughter.
"A few weeks ago, when I last went home, my mother, who is taking care of my daughter, told me that the girl correctly answered a very difficult math question, but no one else in her class did," he said.
"I asked my daughter how she did it, but she said she couldn't remember. I feel I am missing out on her growing up, just as my parents did — to their regret."
Changes have taken place during the past 55 years, but they are not big enough for Saihanba to become one of the places sought out by young ambitious graduates aiming for rapid career advancement or quick money.
The winters are still cold, the working hours are still long, the separation from family life is still hard and the loneliness is still haunting.
Now, much less land is left for cultivation than before, but that doesn't necessarily mean the work has become easier.